Mitt Romney: Corporate America's Best Candidate

If you thought President Obama was in bed with Corporate America, wait until you meet President Romney. Mitt Romney IS Corporate America.

I don't know if you saw his comment yesterday while he was talking with to voters at the Iowa State Fair. He said that corporations are people, because all the money a corporation makes goes into the pockets of people.

What he meant to say is that most of that money goes into the pockets of people like Mitt Romney.

Mitt Romney is the people Mitt Romney was talking about. Mitt Romney is corporate America.

Mitt Romney has made no secret of the fact that he has been "unemployed" since January 2007. How many unemployed people, let alone people who recently retired from being Governor, do you know that can sink $45Million into a presidential campaign?

Well, that's what being Corporate America can get you.



Mitt Romney: Putting "People" First, and Workers Last.

Dave Barry on New Hampshire

From the Miami Herald:

MANCHESTER, N.H. --
The voters of New Hampshire have made their decision, and the big winner is: Change. Here's the final vote tally:

Change -- 43 percent

Hope -- 28 percent

Hope For Change -- 17 percent

Hair -- 9 percent

Experience -- 2 percent

Dennis Kucinich -- 1 percent:

Now it's time for the politicians and the press to drop New Hampshire like an ant-covered corn dog and sprint for the airport, leaving the residents of The Granite State to spend the rest of the winter plucking 239 billion candidate signs out of their snowbanks, all the while wondering if there ever really was a candidate named ''Mike Gravel,'' or if that was just teenagers playing a sign-planting prank.

Meanwhile the eyeballs of the nation will turn toward the Next Crucial Phase of the presidential race, South (or North) Carolina, which at the moment is the epicenter of the political world, not to mention Dick Harpootlian. I have not, personally, conducted any journalism research in North (or South) Carolina, but based on sitting in my hotel room eating Cheez-Its and thinking about it, I would say that the issue most on the minds of voters there, at the moment, is: Change. Although of course that could change.

Meanwhile there are many unanswered questions about the races in both parties. On the Democratic side: Is Barack Obama for real? Or is he, as sources inside the Hillary Clinton campaign have suggested, a hologram formed by laser beams? Is the nation truly ready for a hologram president? And speaking of Hillary Clinton: When her eyes appeared to well up with tears during a campaign appearance at a New Hampshire diner, was that real welling? Or did she fake the welling? If she did, in fact, well, do we know for certain that those were her own personal tears? Why was no sample made available to the media for testing?

Among the unanswered questions on the Republican side are: Is John McCain, at 117, too old and cranky to be president? Like, during the White House Easter Egg Roll, would he come outside in his bathrobe and yell, ''You kids get off my lawn!'' Does Mitt Romney contain any human DNA whatsoever? Does he, for example, burp? Can he emit bodily aromas? And is there any TV show that Mike Huckabee will NOT appear on? Are we going to see him one of these nights on Deal or No Deal? Why does anybody, aside from Howie Mandel's immediate family, watch that show?

These are only some of the questions that we, as a nation, will be trying to answer in the critical days ahead. But before we do, let's take a moment to look back on both the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primaries, and ask ourselves if these two non-representative states -- which have, between them, roughly the same total minority population as Gladys Knight and the Pips -- should play such a huge role in selecting our presidential nominees. This is a very complex issue, with many strong arguments on both sides.

No, sorry, correction: It's actually a simple issue. The Iowa/New Hampshire system is insane. It's like a 50-table restaurant with a big, varied menu, except that only two tables are allowed to order. If these two tables order clams, for example, or Michael Dukakis, that's what gets served to all the other tables. But at this point I don't think there's anything the rest of the states can do about it. Iowa and New Hampshire will do anything to be first. You populous states can't beat them, because they want it more than you do. They're like the people who camp out for two weeks so they can be in front of the line to buy tickets for a hot concert, except that instead of a hot concert, it's a chance to shake hands with Duncan Hunter six different times. Tough luck, residents of populous states! At least you don't have to deal with the snowbank signs.

Anyway, this concludes my New Hampshire coverage. I will write further campaign reports as events warrant, meaning after I do my laundry. Until then, America: Don't go changing.

Your Current Delegate Counts After New Hampshire

[Update 2/20/08 1:52 PM: For Up-to-the-minute delegate counts, click here]

Much like the Election Night tally of the Electoral Vote, what actually matters in the primaries is the delegate count.

Current delegate count after New Hampshire:

Democrats (2025 needed to win):
Barack Obama 25
Hillary Clinton 24
John Edwards 18

Republicans(1191 needed):
Mitt Romney 21
Mike Huckabee 14
John McCain 12
Fred Thompson 8
Ron Paul 4
Rudy Giulliani 1
Duncan Hunter 1

Dodd Out

CNN is reporting that Senator Dodd will be dropping out of the Presidential race.

I rather liked Senator Dodd. And, Mrs Dodd is a Utah County native.

-Bob

Iowa is glad Iowa is done.

At work today, I mentioned several times that I was glad Caucus day had come, because I was sick of talking about Iowa.

I'm not the only one.

(hat tip: JM Bell)

MSNBC calls Iowa for Obama!

Obama coming in first is great. Who comes in second?

As Keith Olbermann just said, this is only the first inning of this game.

-Bob

2/3 of the Dem votes in

With 69% of the votes in:

Obama 35%
Edwards 31%
Clinton 31%
Richardson 2%
Biden 1%
Dodd 0%

NBC, CNN calling Iowa for Huckabee

CNN and NBC are calling the Iowa Caucuses for Huckabee.

On the Democratic side, it's Obama Edwrads Clinton at 33%, 32%, 32%.

-Bob

Live Blogging Cacus shown on CSPAN

I'm liveblogging the caucus coverage being shown on CSPAN. I'll liveblog the results when this is over.

605: they are going through the nitty gritty details about electing precinct captains. We'll get to the good stuff in a moment...

No wonder nobody goes to these things. Sausage making at it's finest.

612: 323 people are attending the caucus. By my math, that means 49 people are needed for viability. They are breaking up into their groups now.

This is my second caucus I've watched, and it seems to go smoother that four years ago...

620: They are showing some good discussion going between a Dodd and Richardson discussion. The gal from the Richardson campaign is doing a good job of talking about his issues, and building on common traits with the other participants. Kudos to Barbara, I think she said her name was.

623: Obama looks to be dominant here. I like the Obama guy talking about experience, mentioning Obama's line about Rumsfeld having strong experience.

637: dodd, kucinich, biden, and richardson are not currently viable. 15 minutes to realign and get viability. Their number for what constitutes 15% is 57, seems off to me. Richardson is trying hard to hit viability...

643: it's turning into a high school spoting event, with difeerent groups breaking into cheers...

647: I think I'd be sick of counting by this point. Learning skills like counting off really help in adult life. Who knew?

650: I think the only thing more boring than watching this would be to read someone liveblogging the TV coverage of the event. Thanks for staying with me...

654: just waiting for the Obama people (I think) to finish their count...

655: Someone a little unclear of the concept, wearing a Ron Paul shirt to a Democratic Caucus.

657: Final Count for this caucus -- 186 obama 116 edwards 74 clinton

700: Now the groups select their delegates to the county convention. Obama gets one delegate, edwards gets 2, and clinton 1.

And, with this, I switch over to election results...

A Message to Iowa

While I did not make this video, I endorse the message 100%.



-Bob

D-Day in Iowa

Well, it's time. In about 11 hours, people will gather in all 99 counties in Iowa and pick their candidates for President.

We easily have one of the most screwed up election systems in the world, where we let 4% of the people in a small midwestern state have a huge say in who our next president will be.

But, you go to war with the system you have, not the system you wish you had. Or something like that.

Many people have asked me who I think is going to win in Iowa. I have no freaking clue. Besides, you don't win Iowa. You try not to lose. Especially this year. A third and especially fourth place will be devastating to most campaigns.

So, with that, here's my educatedly hopeful guesses as to what I think (hope) will happen.

Democrats:

Obama
Edwards
Hillary
Richardson

Republicans:

Huckabee
Fib Romney
McCain
Ron Paul

Note: That is not my order of preference. That's my order of what I hope happens, with some realism thrown in....

Great New Obama Ad

Iowa Caucus Forecast as of Sunday Morning

The Weather Channel now has Iowa and Wyoming Caucus Day forecasts up on their websites.

In a dead heat, like the Iowa Democratic Caucuses are, turnout is key. Weather is a major factor in turnout.

-Bob

Your Iowa Jamuary 3 Forecast for today

As we get closer to Thursday, the accuracy of the forecasts will get better.

Why car about what the weather is Thursday in Iowa? Click here for the answer.

The current forecast:

Sunny
High: 41
Low: 22
10% chance Precip.

Absolutely beautiful for Iowa in winter. People will walk around in shorts in that kind of weather.

-Bob

More Obama Staff Headed to Utah

An email sent out this evening to the Utah for Obama listserv:

Hello Utahns for Obama.

The Iowa caucuses are fast approaching - next Thursday as a matter of fact. Once they are over, about 5 Obama staffers will be coming to Utah to help get out the vote for Barack here. Can you help house any of these staffers? They will likely arrive around January 4 and need housing through our primary election on February 5.

In addition, the Nevada caucuses are on January 19th. After they are over, there will be a number (as yet undetermined) of Nevada staffers coming to Utah to help Obama win Utah. They also will need housing from about January 20 through February 5.

If you or anyone you know can help by providing housing for Iowa and/or Nevada Obama staffers please call Aaron at the Utah headquarters at (801) 803-0647.

We also need help staffing the Salt Lake City headquarters every day through our February 5 primary. This would involve answering phones and making calls to Obama supporters. Please call the office to let us know when you can help -- or just show up weekdays between 9:00 am and 9:00 pm. Help on the weekends is also needed.

Only about a month left to help get out the vote for Obama!

Anyone but Hillary!

Utah Amicus's Steve Olsen:

The following anecdote illustrates, in a just a few words, a very important message for those few voters in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina who (unfortunately) will largely decide who the Democratic presidential nominee will be.

On last Sunday's Meet the Press, one of the discussion panelists told the following story. A reporter was talking with a small businessman in Iowa who was a lifelong Republican and self described Reaganite. He was complaining to the reporter how disillusioned he was with today's Republican Party, citing among other things the massive borrowing, spending and government growth during the Bush Administration. The man said he was so disgusted with the GOP he was actually considering voting for Democrats in 2008.

At that point, the reporter asked the man, "So, would you consider voting for Hillary?" At the mention of that name, the man's eyes hardened, and he replied with just one word:

Never!

If, for some reason, Barack Obama tanks in the first several primaries/caucuses, I will be voting for anyone who has a shot at beating Hillary Clinton.

Why?

First, because I trust her about as much as Fib Romney.

Secondly, and most important, she hurts everyone down the ticket here in Utah. Her disapproval rating is in the mid-40s nationwide, and even lower in Utah. Having a strong name at the top of the ticket helps everyone from our party down the line.

And, here in Utah, that's what's important.

Because while our 5 Electoral Votes will (barring a miracle) go to the Republican, having someone to inspire Utah Democrats will drive them to the polls.

-Bob

"the more Mitt Romney speaks, the less believable he becomes"

Another Anti-Endorsement for Fib Romney. This time from the Union Leader, New Hampshire's largest newspaper:

THERE IS A reason Mitt Romney has not received a single newspaper endorsement in New Hampshire. It's the same reason his poll numbers are dropping. He has not been able to convince the people of this state that he's the conservative he says he is.

Like a lot of people in New Hampshire, we wanted to believe Romney. We gave him the benefit of the doubt. We listened very carefully to his expertly rehearsed sales pitch. But in the end he didn't close the deal for us. Now, two weeks before the primary, the same is happening with voters.

Republicans and right-leaning independents in New Hampshire gave Romney a chance. His events have not been sparsely attended. Nor have they been scarce. He's made more campaign stops here this year than any other Republican, even John McCain.

And after a year of comparing Romney to McCain, of sizing up the two in person and in the media, Granite Staters are turning back to McCain. The former Navy pilot, once written off by the national media establishment, is now in a statistical dead heat with Romney here.

How could that be? Romney has all the advantages: money, organization, geographic proximity, statesman-like hair, etc.

But he lacks something John McCain has in spades: conviction.

Granite Staters want a candidate who will look them in the eye and tell them the truth. John McCain has done that day in and day out, never wavering, never faltering, never pandering.

Mitt Romney has not. He has spoken his lines well, but the people can sense that the words are memorized, not heartfelt.

Last week Romney was reduced to debating what the meaning of "saw" is. It was only the latest in a string of demonstrably false claims -- he'd been a hunter "pretty much" all his life, he'd had the NRA's endorsement, he marched with Martin Luther King, Jr. -- that call into question the veracity of his justifications for switching sides on immigration, abortion, taxes and his affection for Ronald Reagan.

In this primary, the more Mitt Romney speaks, the less believable he becomes. That is why Granite Staters who have listened attentively are now returning to John McCain. They might not agree with McCain on everything, as we don't, but like us, they judge him to be a man of integrity and conviction, a man who won't sell them out, who won't break his promises, and who won't lie to get elected.

Voters can see that John McCain is trustworthy. Mitt Romney has spent a year trying to convince Granite Staters that he is as well. It looks like they aren't buying it. And for good reason.

Today's Iowa Forecast

Forecast for Des Moines, Iowa on January 3:

Mostly Sunny
33 degree high
10% chance precipitation.

That's beautiful for Iowa in January.

For why that's important, click here.

-Bob

Concord (NH) Monitor: Anyone but Romney

The Concord (NH) Monitor came our a few days ago with a ringing endorsement of anyone not named Romney.

If you followed only his tenure as governor of Massachusetts, you might imagine Romney as a pragmatic moderate with liberal positions on numerous social issues and an ability to work well with Democrats. If you followed only his campaign for president, you'd swear he was a red-meat conservative, pandering to the religious right, whatever the cost. Pay attention to both, and you're left to wonder if there's anything at all at his core.

As a candidate for the U.S. Senate in 1994, he boasted that he would be a stronger advocate of gay rights than his opponent, Ted Kennedy. These days, he makes a point of his opposition to gay marriage and adoption.

There was a time that he said he wanted to make contraception more available - and a time that he vetoed a bill to sell it over-the-counter.

The old Romney assured voters he was pro-choice on abortion. "You will not see me wavering on that," he said in 1994, and he cited the tragedy of a relative's botched illegal abortion as the reason to keep abortions safe and legal. These days, he describes himself as pro-life.

There was a time that he supported stem-cell research and cited his own wife's multiple sclerosis in explaining his thinking; such research, he reasoned, could help families like his. These days, he largely opposes it. As a candidate for governor, Romney dismissed an anti-tax pledge as a gimmick. In this race, he was the first to sign.

People can change, and intransigence is not necessarily a virtue. But Romney has yet to explain this particular set of turnarounds in a way that convinces voters they are based on anything other than his own ambition.

In the 2008 campaign for president, there are numerous issues on which Romney has no record, and so voters must take him at his word. On these issues, those words are often chilling. While other candidates of both parties speak of restoring America's moral leadership in the world, Romney has said he'd like to "double" the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay, where inmates have been held for years without formal charge or access to the courts. He dodges the issue of torture - unable to say, simply, that waterboarding is torture and America won't do it.

When New Hampshire partisans are asked to defend the state's first-in-the-nation primary, we talk about our ability to see the candidates up close, ask tough questions and see through the baloney. If a candidate is a phony, we assure ourselves and the rest of the world, we'll know it.

Mitt Romney is such a candidate. New Hampshire Republicans and independents must vote no.

Things are looking less than bright for Fib Romney.

-Bob

Forcasting Iowa

The Iowa Caucuses are a week from tomorrow. Because of the nature of the caucus system, turnout hovers around 4%. Therefore, getting "your" people out is critical.

The Unions do a good job of getting their members to the caucuses. Union members are good at turning people over to their candidates. However, their effectiveness decreases as turnout increases. John Edwards has strong union backing. So, if turnout is relatively low, look for Edwards to win.

Hillary Clinton is polling well in frequent caucus goers. So, if turnout is normal, look for large success from Hillary.

Barack Obama has high numbers from both occasional and new caucus goers. So, if turnout is high, look for success from Obama.

One big key for turnout has nothing to do with your machine on the ground. It has to do with the weather. If the weather nest Thursday evening is crappy, turnout will be low. If it's a nice day (for Iowa in January -- it's all relative), turnout will be higher.

So, I'll be updating you on what the weather forecast for Des Moines, Iowa, for Thursday. As we get closer, I'll give you details for the hours around caucus time.

Current forecast for Des Moines, Iowa -- January 3: Scattered Snow, 30% chance Precip, 29 high, 20 low.